Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-03-18
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondent.

| rOrty-nllltn congress VIII have "a
pired, and l might as well write its obit-
uary few hours in advance OF its de-
mise. -
Many criticisms and slurs and filings
have been leveled at it during the two
brief years Of its existence, and many
attempts have been made to show that
it has an unworthy record. But as n
matter of fact it makes a much better
showing than any recent Congress has
done, especially when it is remembered
that it was Democratic in one branch
and Republican in the other, and con-
scquently unequipped for harmonious
and rapid progress.
| One reason that it was constantly
derided and reviled rs failure was be-
cause cxtravagant promises were made
for it and more was expected than
could be accomplished, where one
house was under the control Of Wig
orous and alert opposition. The
Forty-Sevcnth Congress was Republi-
can in both branches and yet it did
nothing that is worthy of mention,
while the little that it did was done
very badly.
The Forty-ninth has enacted a law
providing for the Presidential success
sion law for silver certificates; u
law reducing the fee for money orders !;
q law forfeiting uncarncd land grants
and restoring about seventy-tive mil
lion acres to the public domain open
for actual settlers; law in the inter-
est of the merchant marine; Il law
providing for valuable addition to
| the navy; IL law for q National Lii
brary; Il law allotting lands in sever
atty to the Indians; the Interstate
Commerce law; law establishing ar
bitratiOn in labor controversies, and it
has redeemed trade dollars and ex-
tended the free delivery system.
While there is life there is hope, and
while l am writing the Forty-ninth
has three more hours to live. 1t is
frantic in its efforts to make the most
of this brief period of grace, and bills
are rushing through rapidly. 1t is
hoped and expected that among them
will be the one changing Inauguration
Day from the bleak, windy 4th of
March to the soft balmy day that the
3Oth of April brings. AT this moment
the reform measure has not passed.
There have been night sessions in both
ends of the Capitol during the week,
and lively scenes have occurred in the
House through the wild efforts of MEM
bers wanting little bills through to
catch the Speakers eye. 1t is anus
ing and even pathetic to see the eager
ness with which members stand in
their places after morning prayer and
wait for Speaker Carlisle to finish lay
ing before the House the documents
and personal requests that accumulate
on his desk When he is through and
his eye is supposed to be abroad in the
House, the anxious members flourish
bits of paper aloft in order to attract
his glance, while occasionally one im-
patient man calls Mr.. Speaker" be-
fore the proper time, and then half a
hundred others shout "Mr. Speaker"
"Mr. Speaker" all at once.
The Speaker is imperturbable and
his voice is always calm and steady,
no matter how exciting his surround
ings. At last evenings session score
of members rushed into the space in
front of the clerks desk, and waving
their bills wildly in the air, vociferously
claimed recognition. The confusion
on the floor, added to the buzz of con-
versation in the galleries, which were
filled to their utmost capacity, was go
great for a time that business had to
be suspended, and it was only by loud
rappings of the gavel and repeated ap-
peals to the members to preserve the
prOprieties, assisted by the efforts of
the Sergeant-at-Arms and his deputies,
that the Speaker succeeded in restor-
ing comparative order.
The President is overwhelmed with
work and remains at his desk during a
greater portion of the night. These
are the busiest days of the year, if not
of his whole term. Congress must ad
journ at noon to-day, and any bills in
his hands undisposed of at that time
must fail. For the past few days he
has had more than hundred bills ly-
ing before him most of the time, for as
fast as he could dispose of them others
were brought in. Many of them re-
quire close examination which con-
sumes much time.
Three important incidents have oc-
Cured to keep alive the interest in the
Presidents nomination of James NJ.
Trotter, of Hyde Park, Mass, to be
Recorder of Deeds in place of the col
ored appointee from Albany, recently
rejected by the Senate. First, he ar
rived here from Boston, then his NOM
ination was acted upon adversely, and
he was appointed, little later, by the
present incumbent, Deputy Recorder
of Deeds, all on the same day.
DEN.
A MAN does not ALWAYS aim at what